Abstract
In the last five years the Government of India has embarked on a strategy to reap the economic benefits from developing and launching theme-based pilgrimage heritage tourism railway circuit packages, under the Indian Railways brand of “Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train.” The purpose of this chapter is to explore the economic dimensions, opportunities and challenges from developing innovative and transformative heritage and spiritual railway tourism train routes by the Indian railways, for celebrating India's Glory as a vehicle for uniting Indian people, appreciate India's diverse heritage and appreciate India's secular nature of spirituality with the aim of attracting domestic and international tourist, internal peace, generate revenue, employment opportunities in the railway and religious tourism sector, for the economic progress, and prosperity of the local communities sustainable future.
TopBackground
Railways and Religious/Pilgrimage Tourism are interconnected and an Engine of Economic Growth and Development (Vukonic, 1998). Railways all over the world historically have played an important economic role and are essential in transporting raw materials, goods, and people within a country, from inland to sea-ports and across land borders. Development of railways has socio-economic impact, which have to be managed in a sustainable manner. The technological invention of the 19th century was the freight and passenger train that was first introduced in colonial Hindustan-India in 1853, from Bombay to Thane, contributing to the revenue and employment (Kerr, 1995; Kumar, 2016). The train facilitates the spacial connection between places and provides cultural, socio-economic, political and environmental meaning (Anand, 2012; Budovich, 2023; Gurita & Scortescu, 2023; Hvizdová, 2018; Sharma & Sharma, 2023). In the 20th century luxury tourist train vacation packages originated in Europe- The Orient Express, Venice to Istanbul, Grand Alpine Express, and Lisbon to Barcelona (Gladstone, 2005). Three Mountain Railways in India that is the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, and the Kalka-Shimla Railways are listed as the world heritage railway sites by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Coulls, 1999).
Indian Railway is the world’s largest monopoly state-owned enterprise (Roy & Kulshrestha, 2021). Railway is the life-line of the Indian economy’s supply chain and is very important in connecting the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent, from the states of Kashmir in the North to Kanyakumari in the South; from Arunachal Pradesh in the extreme East to Ahmedabad in the West; for transporting people and bulk material goods, but also are specially designed offering specialised theme based packaged tours for different religious and pilgrimage routes across the Indian states. India has centuries old religious heritage and is dotted with tangible cultural heritage religious/pilgrimage routes, monuments, and places of worship across the length and breadth of the country (Kumar & Singh, 2015).
According to Turner and Turner 1978 “a tourist is half a pilgrim, if a pilgrim is half a tourist” (p.20). This paper defines ‘Railway Tourism’ as an organised rail tourism pilgrimage packages along a specified religious route, using the railway transport from one destination to another giving the passengers on-train and off-train experience, with a combination of sightseeing at local historical pilgrimage sites, national parks, forts, shopping, and spiritual places combining it with rail, bus, and hotel stay for local sightseeing. India is a secular country representing different cultures, food, music, and people from diverse racial and spiritual orientations. In the last five years the Indian railways have embarked on an integrated strategy to reap the benefits from these cultural heritage and spiritual tourism related pilgrimage circuits/routes (Haq & Medhekar, 2013). Indian railways branding and innovative product development strategy in developing and launching special tourist train routes and journeys lasting form a week to three weeks packages under the Indian Railways brand of “Bharat Gaurav Tourist Trains” (BGTT) packages, literally translated as “Indian Glory Train” or Journey Celebrating India’s Glory (https://www.irctctourism.com/bharatgaurav).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Spiritual Tourism: Visiting places of worship of different religions is defined as spiritual/religious/ or faith-based tourism. For example, pilgrims go for annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Kumbh mela in India, Vatican in Rome, Lady of Fatima in Portugal.
Railway Tourism: Railway tourism describes the travel experience by train, which is slowing seeing the countryside pass by, experience onboard food, and at different destinations experience diverse geographical landscape, cultural heritage linked sites, monuments, places of worship, or going down memory lane in the past.
Social Transformation: Railway Tourism can drive and bring about a positive social change and transformation in the economies of the cities the train connects and passes through. For example, it induces regional development and development of infrastructure facilities, roads, hotels, restaurants, market for local artifacts, preserving/conserving local heritage sites, and numerous job opportunities for multilingual informed tour guides, security, bus drivers etc.
Heritage Tourism: The economics significance of heritage tourism is growing. It is defined as an activity where people visit to see or study, centuries old historical archaeological sites, monuments, cities, places of workshops, forts, railway stations, battlegrounds, and museums preserving heritage objects and artifacts.
National Unity: Railways can promote national unity in diversity in a country like India, with diverse languages, geography, and cultural practices. Railways special tourists trains can By connect the country and make it possible for people to experience diverse culture and heritage in different states in India.